Motorsports

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was fined $75,000 by NASCAR after fighting Kyle Busch following Sunday's All-Star Race at North Carolina's North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Busch was not penalized.

The altercation occurred in the pits after Busch wrecked Stenhouse's car on the second lap of the race:

Tempers flare in the pits after the race! pic.twitter.com/TrWaLrY06Z

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 20, 2024

Stenhouse's father was suspended indefinitely for his involvement. Two members of Stenhouse's team also faced penalties, as mechanic Clint Myrick was suspended for eight races and engine tuner Keith Matthews for four.

The conflict came after a series of bumps from Busch's car sent Stenhouse's into the retaining wall:

Stenhouse then parked the wrecked car in Busch's pit, where the two argued about who caused the collision.

The argument ended with Stenhouse throwing a punch, and his father also getting involved in the altercation.

Stenhouse said after the brawl that his fight with Busch was the result of "built-up frustration."

"I wrecked him one time at Daytona, and he's been kind of bad-mouthing me ever since then," Stenhouse said, per NASCAR.com's Zack Albert. "I feel like we get along with each other okay outside the race track. I talk to him quite a bit. I'm not sure why he was so mad that — I shoved it three-wide, but he hit the fence and kind of came off the wall and ran into me, and when I was talking to him, he kept saying that I wrecked him."

Busch declined an interview after the fight, per FOX Sports 1 and NASCAR reporter Chris Knight.

NASCAR's decision to fine Stenhouse and penalize his father falls in line with precedent, under which the company generally issues harsher punishments to non-drivers involved in physical altercations, FOX Sports' Bob Pockrass noted.

In the past, NASCAR has declined to fine drivers who started fights just after getting out of their car, Pockrass reported. The fact that Stenhouse waited to meet Busch at his hauler might have contributed to the penalty.

NASCAR will now be keeping a close eye on Stenhouse and Busch during the upcoming Coca-Cola 600, during which Stenhouse said he would wreck Busch. The 1.5-mile race takes place Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

After their fight during the aftermath of the NASCAR All-Star Race on Sunday night, NASCAR Cup Series drivers Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. have received an offer to settle their differences in a Celebrity Boxing match.

According to TMZ Sports, Celebrity Boxing founder Damon Feldman went public with the invite Monday, saying: "Come on NASCAR, let's make this the biggest deal in the country!"

While Busch and Stenhouse were jostling for position during the second lap of the All-Star race, Stenhouse hit the wall and was done for the night.

Stenhouse made it clear that he was looking for a fight, as he parked his car in Busch's pit stall and had words with Busch's crew members.

After the race was over, Stenhouse was standing behind Busch's hauler waiting for him, which led to a heated exchange. It was escalated even further when Stenhouse threw a haymaker, leading to a chaotic scene with team members attempting to break it up:

Fight! pic.twitter.com/2ZQhL4VcSy

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 20, 2024

Per TMZ Sports, Stenhouse said following the melee that he would be open to facing Busch in a celebrity boxing match if proceeds were to go to charity, saying: "I would do that. ... That would be fun."

It is fair to wonder if Busch would be interested as well, especially given how frustrating this season has been for him.

The 39-year-old Busch is one of the all-time greats and a future Hall of Famer with two NASCAR Cup Series championships and 63 Cup Series race wins to his credit.

However, the 2024 season has been a struggle thus far, as he has yet to win a race or even a stage over his first 13 starts, and is a pedestrian 13th place in the standings.

Stenhouse, 36, hasn't had a banner year either, as the 2023 Daytona 500 winner is 26th in the standings with no wins and only two top-10 finishes and one top-five result.

Given that NASCAR didn't shy away from showcasing to the world that Busch and Stenhouse got into a fight, perhaps it would have interest in facilitating an eventual Busch vs. Stenhouse boxing match due to the added buzz it would likely create for the sport.

NASCAR could suspend Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for punching Kyle Busch following Sunday's All-Star Race.

Steve Reed of The Associated Press noted Stenhouse, his father and members of his crew could all wind up suspended due to the melee. Busch may also wind up facing punishment for causing an early crash that led to Stenhouse's anger.

PUNCHES THROWN AT NORTH WILKESBORO 👀 pic.twitter.com/jLCrcf1noA

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 20, 2024

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The feud began when Stenhouse wrecked Busch at Daytona and has simmered for months. The pair battled in the All-Star Race, with Stenhouse driving aggressively against Busch. There are some who thought Busch wrecking Stenhouse was retaliation.

During their back-and-forth, Stenhouse threatened to wreck Stenhouse at next week's race at Charlotte.

"Bring it," Busch said in response. "I suck as bad as you,"

Stenhouse, for his part, said Busch was bitter because he's fallen off among the best drivers in the sport. Busch is 13th in the points standings and does not have a win in 2024.

Joey Logano won the All-Star Race from the pole, leading 199 of the 200 laps. It would have been a sleepy celebration of the sport if it weren't for Stenhouse and Busch adding some excitement in the pit area.

That said, it's unlikely NASCAR looks on the situation fondly.

Tensions flared at the race track Saturday night.

Following the Nascar All-Star race held at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina, drivers Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. were caught in a physical altercation.

Tempers flare in the pits after the race! pic.twitter.com/TrWaLrY06Z

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 20, 2024

PUNCHES THROWN AT NORTH WILKESBORO 👀 pic.twitter.com/jLCrcf1noA

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 20, 2024

Kyle Busch marches to the hauler, is confronted by Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and punches are thrown pic.twitter.com/qy5aiuEKYJ

— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) May 20, 2024

This comes after Stenhouse showed displeasure with Bush during the race during a pit stop.

.@StenhouseJr shows his displeasure on pit road. 👀 pic.twitter.com/BXo0iI2zV6

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 20, 2024

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. isn't happy with Kyle Busch. #HotPass pic.twitter.com/G4I7HxsHIz

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 20, 2024

He shared some thoughts following the race, which included a reference to the fact that he was going to "handle it" with Busch later and told reporters that they can "watch afterwards" to see what happens.

More from Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who said he can't leave so he will see Kyle Busch after the race and he will handle it. I asked how he will handle it. RSJ response: "You can just watch afterwards." pic.twitter.com/csX0Hvuf5R

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 20, 2024

"Maybe Richard will hold my watch after the race." - Ricky Stenhouse Jr. pic.twitter.com/IxWg6K2SQm

— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 20, 2024

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The altercation stemmed from an earlier event in the race. The two drivers had some contact on the opening lap and Busch followed up by pushing Stenhouse into the wall, ending the latter's night.

Stenhouse missed out on the chance to compete for $1,000,000, an opportunity he had earned after winning the 2023 Daytona 500. He was unable to leave the race until it concluded, so he was forced to sit and reflect on the incident for quite a long time.

Stenhouse finished last in the race and Busch finished 10th. Joey Logano took home the victory.

Scott McLaughlin will sit on the pole for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500.

McLaughlin completed the fastest pole pole in Indy 500 history with an average speed of 234.22 miles per hour.

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN WINS THE POLE FOR THE #INDY500! pic.twitter.com/TIwevrG1yi

— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 19, 2024

Checkered Flag for @smclaughlin93.
 
The @Team_Penske driver WINS the pole for the 108th Indianapolis 500 with the fastest pole speed in the history of the event.
 
⏱️ 4 Lap Avg: 234.220 MPH
📍 Current Position: 1
🔗 Live Grid: https://t.co/7OPBRZ9cLn
 #Indy500   | @PPG pic.twitter.com/UKwyFn10MV

— Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) May 19, 2024

McLaughin beat out a Fast Six qualifying round pool of Will Power, Josef Newgarden, Alexander Rossi, Kyle Larson and Santino Ferrucci to earn the position.

A CAREER-DEFINING DAY!

Scott McLaughlin (@Smclaughlin93) celebrates WINNING THE POLE for the #Indy500. pic.twitter.com/vGuQ0Tv3v1

— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 19, 2024

Here's a look at the full starting grid for next Sunday's Indianapolis 500.

---

2024 Indianapolis 500 starting grid

Row 1: Scott McLaughlin (pole), Will Power, Josef Newgarden

Row 2: Alexander Rossi, Kyle Larson, Santino Ferrucci

Row 3: Rinus Veekay, Pato Oward, Felix Rosenqvist

Row 4: Takuma Sato, Kyle Kirkwood, Ryan Hunter-Reay

Row 5: Colton Herta, Alex Palou, Callum Ilott

Row 6: Marcus Armstrong, Ed Carpenter, Kyffin Simpson

Row 7: Marco Andretti, Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon

Row 8: Agustin Canapino, Sting Ray Robb, Christian Rasmussen

Row 9: Tom Blomqvist, Romain Grosjean, Linus Lundqvist

Row 10: Christian Lundgaard, Conor Daly, Pietro Fittipaldi

Row 11: Katherine Legge, Marcus Ericsson, Graham Rahal

---

McLaughlin's race paced the previous pole standard of 234.217 mph set by Alex Palou last season.

Watch the historic qualifying run below:

THE FULL QUALIFYING RUN!

SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN PUTS IT ON POLE FOR THE #INDY500. pic.twitter.com/jxEBTQIW9h

— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 19, 2024

McLaughlin was followed by teammates Power and Newgarden at the top of the Fast Six leaderboard, marking the first time Penske has swept the Indy 500 first row since its lockout in 1988.

Newgarden is the defending Indy 500 winner, while Power previously won the race in 2018.

A clean sweep for the Indianapolis 500! pic.twitter.com/q2Ae1Tk7Gb

— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) May 19, 2024

Alexander Rossi will come in fourth behind the Penske trio after opening the race with a 234.062 mile-per-hour lap.

Rossi took provisional pole before he was bumped, which he said would serve as motivation for the Indy 500.

“I’m annoyed. It’s been a lot of noise from (Team Penske).”

- Alexander Rossi

— Austin Konenski (@AustinKonenski) May 19, 2024

Larson will start fifth as he attempts an Indy-NASCAR double by trying to compete in the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.

The green flag will drop for the Indianapolis 500 at 12:45 p.m. ET next Sunday on NBC and Peacock.

After two long weeks, order has been restored in Formula One.

Max Verstappen returned to the top of the podium, winning the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and earning his fifth victory of the 2024 season.

WHAT A FINISH!! 🤯

MAX VERSTAPPEN HOLDS ON TO WIN IN IMOLA - JUST!! 👏👏#F1 #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/dOoyFfcqcE

— Formula 1 (@F1) May 19, 2024

Lando Norris, who claimed his first career F1 checkered flag in the Miami Grand Prix, finished in second place, while Charles Leclerc rounded out the podium.

It didn't take long for Verstappen to make it clear at Imola he wasn't going to be runner-up again Sunday. The reigning Formula One champion started from the first position and quickly solidified himself atop the field.

LAP 2/63

Verstappen makes a break for it out front, closely pursued by Norris, Leclerc, Sainz and Piastri.#F1 #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/i1urVxuYa0

— Formula 1 (@F1) May 19, 2024

Race fans have seen this story too many times before. Verstappen didn't put together one of his typically dominant performances. Norris consistently stayed within two seconds of the leader and ran hot on his heels.

But Verstappen never faced any serious threat of relinquishing first place. Norris had to settle for closing the gap to less than one second by the time he crossed the finish line.

lando norris closing that gap pic.twitter.com/y62GYnjA64

— ✮ (@landopitlane) May 19, 2024

Verstappen to Norris: pic.twitter.com/21htIHcxtL

— Vincenzo Landino (@vincenzolandino) May 19, 2024

Verstappen said over the team radio he had to "work hard for that," while Norris lamented an "unlucky" outcome and cited the ground he ceded early into the race. The Miami and Emilia Romagna Grands Prix do at least raise some hope Verstappen could have a challenger for the points title, something that was noticeably missing across the 2023 season.

For Lewis Hamilton, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was a continuation of his campaign. He wound up in sixth for the second straight race and he's still looking for his first podium finish.

The seven-time F1 champion did earn bragging rights over teammate George Russell.

Lewis and George cross the finish line in P6 and P7 at the Emilia-Romagna GP pic.twitter.com/JpKga0r5U7

— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) May 19, 2024

All eyes are now on Monaco for the centerpiece of the Formula One schedule. Qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix gets underway next Saturday with the race to follow on May 26.

Verstappen has two victories in the last three years in the legendary event. Having regained his winning form, he'll be the heavy favorite to make it three out of four.

Qualifying for the 2024 Indianapolis 500 started on Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the first of two days that will determine the order of the historic race on May 26.

Will Power finished with the top qualifying performance of the day, with the 2018 Indy 500 champion recording a four-lap average speed of 233.758 mph. Scott McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden rounded out the top three by recording speeds of 233.332 mph and 233.293 mph, respectively.

It was a close finish to determine which drivers earned a place in the "Fast 12" ahead of Sunday, while four other drivers are now in danger of failing to secure one of the 33 spots available in the race.

Here's a quick overview of each driver's positioning after Saturday, via the IndyCar website.

Indianapolis 500 Qualifying Results

1. Will Power (233.758 mph)
2. Scott McLaughlin (233.332 mph)
3. Josef Newgarden (233.293 mph)
4. Alexander Rossi (233.069 mph)
5. Kyle Kirkwood (232.764 mph)
6. Kyle Larson (232.563 mph)
7. Felix Rosenqvist (232.547 mph)
8. Santino Ferrucci (232.496 mph)
9. Takuma Sato (232.473 mph)
10. Pato O'Ward (232.434 mph)
11. Rinus VeeKay (232.419 mph)
12. Ryan Hunter-Reay (232.385 mph)
13. Colton Herta (232.316 mph)
14. Alex Palou (232.306 mph)
15. Callum Ilott (232.230 mph)
16. Marcus Armstrong (232.183 mph)
17. Ed Carpenter (232.017 mph)
18. Kyffin Simpson (231.948 mph)
19. Marco Andretti (231.890 mph)
20. Helio Castroneves (231.871 mph)
21. Scott Dixon (231.851 mph)
22. Agustin Canapino (231.847 mph)
23. Sting Ray Robb (231.826 mph)
24. Christian Rasmussen (231.682 mph)
25. Tom Blomqvist (231.578 mph)
26. Romain Grosjean (231.514 mph)
27. Linus Lundqvist (231.506 mph)
28. Christian Lundgaard (231.465 mph)
29. Conor Daly (231.243 mph)
30. Pietro Fittipaldi (231.100 mph)
31. Marcus Ericsson (Bumped)
32. Katherine Legge (Bumped)
33. Graham Rahal (Bumped)
34. Nolan Siegel (Bumped)

One of these drivers WILL BE ELIMINATED from making the #Indy500 field.

Marcus Ericsson, Katherine Legge, Graham Rahal and Nolan Siegel will fight for the last three spots Sunday. pic.twitter.com/DJZuxrTYJU

— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 18, 2024

The bottom four drivers from Saturday's qualifying session will race for the three remaining spots up for grabs on Sunday. It's surprising to see Marcus Ericsson in danger of failing to earn one of the 33 available spots after he previously won the Indy 500 in 2022.

Meanwhile, each of the positions from 13 through 30 are now set. The top 12 drivers will race for pole position on Sunday, as well as the order of positions from two through 12.

It was an extremely eventful day, as Rinus VeeKay bounced back from a crash on the opening lap during his first attempt. His crew was able to make repairs in time to give him another shot, recording a speed of 232.419 mph to secure the No. 11 spot and earn a chance to compete for the pole.

RINUS VEEKAY HAS DONE IT!

HE ADVANCES TO THE FAST 12 WITH THIS STELLAR QUALIFYING RUN RIGHT AT THE END! #Indy500 pic.twitter.com/j9tApmXLib

— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 18, 2024

"I'm not sure what a pole feels like, but this feels way better than a pole," VeeKay said afterward.

NO QUIT IN RINUS VEEKAY.

After crashing early in qualifying, he and the Ed Carpenter Racing crew made gutsy call and paced their way into the Fast 12! #Indy500 pic.twitter.com/qkRzEVixcb

— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 18, 2024

Kyle Larson also secured a spot in the Fast 12, as the former NASCAR Cup Series champion is attempting to become the fifth driver in history to attempt to run the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.

THE FULL QUALIFYING RUN for Kyle Larson.

The 2021 NASCAR champ puts himself in the provisional Fast 12 for his first #Indy500.

📺 : Peacock pic.twitter.com/SEJ2GijPSA

— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) May 18, 2024

Larson, VeeKay, and Power will now attempt to compete for the pole as qualifying concludes during Sunday's session, which will begin at 3 p.m. ET.

NASCAR is set to take a page out of the NBA's playbook with a new wrinkle being added to the 2025 season.

NASCAR will introduce a five-race in-season tournament next year with a $1 million prize up for grabs.

The introduction of the new concept coincides with the first season of NASCAR's seven-year media rights deal. The three races to determine the seeding for the tournament will be aired on Prime Video, while the tournament races will be broadcast on the TNT Sports portion of the 2025 Cup Series.

"With the launch of our new media rights partnerships in 2025, we were excited to partner with Prime Video and TNT Sports to collaborate on fan engagement concepts that drive storylines in our sport and innovation from a production perspective," Brian Herbst, NASCAR senior vice president of media and productions, said in a press release. "Having head-to-head driver matchups for each one of TNT's NASCAR Cup Series races will add a compelling fan engagement element across media platforms like TNT, Bleacher Report, House of Highlights and NASCAR digital platforms."

The format will feature 32 drivers being placed in an NCAA tournament-style bracket where the head-to-head matchups determine who advances to the next round. Seedings for the tournament will be decided by the highest result of each driver from the three preceding races. The five races that will make up the in-season tournament have not yet been announced.

"The idea of an in-season tournament has been discussed within the NASCAR industry and as we started to focus on adding promotional elements that drive interest throughout the season, we were excited by the opportunity to leverage the marketing weight of Amazon and TNT Sports to bring this concept to life," Herbst said.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is returning to the broadcast booth starting with the 2025 NASCAR season.

TNT Sports and Amazon Prime announced (h/t NASCAR.com) on Tuesday that Earnhardt will work for their broadcast teams next year.

Earnhardt issued a statement in the release about the move:

"It is such an exciting time to welcome TNT Sports back to NASCAR. I remember watching the races on TNT back in the day, and it's so nostalgic to see them return to the sport and to be a part of their team. I'm looking forward to joining their team and also getting the chance to work with Bleacher Report creating content that our fans will enjoy."

Earnhardt most recently worked as a color commentator for NBC's NASCAR coverage from 2018 to '23. The network announced his departure in February with a statement (h/t Greg Engle of Forbes):

"Dale Earnhardt Jr. is beloved in the NASCAR world and has made numerous contributions to NBC Sports, from his work as an analyst on our NASCAR coverage to his experiences as a correspondent at major events like the Indianapolis 500, the Kentucky Derby, the Super Bowl and the Olympics. We thank Dale and we wish him the best going forward."

NASCAR signed its new media rights deal in November, with TNT and Amazon Prime joining traditional partners in Fox Sports and NBC Sports. The seven-year package is worth a total of $7.7 billion from 2025 to '31.

The deal with Amazon Prime marks the first time NASCAR events will be available exclusively on a streaming service. Fox and NBC still hold rights for 14 races each season, with Amazon Prime and TNT each getting five events.

It's unclear at this point which races will air on which networks. Fox has been the exclusive home for the Daytona 500 since 2007.

TNT gained broadcast rights for NASCAR events for the first time since 2014.

Since retiring from full-time competition after the 2017 NASCAR season, Earnhardt has spent most of his time broadcasting. He still races occasionally on the Xfinity circuit, including taking part in two events last year for the first time since 2017.

Earnhardt finished fifth in the Xfinity Series at Miami race in October. His coverage for TNT and Amazon Prime will include on-air analysis and commentary, as well as contributions to B/R's social and digital platforms in collaboration with his Dirty Mo Media productions company.

Kyle Larson earned an extremely narrow victory in the AdventHealth 400 over Chris Buescher on Sunday night at Kansas Speedway.

Larson secured his second win of the 2024 season by just 0.001 seconds, representing the closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history.

CLOSEST FINISH IN NASCAR HISTORY 🤯

Kyle Larson wins by 0.001 seconds 😱

(via @NASCAR) pic.twitter.com/36MiysIGeN

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 6, 2024

It doesn't get closer than this. pic.twitter.com/7TesjOJWao

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 6, 2024

The close ending drew comparisons to Saturday's Kentucky Derby, which contained a photo finish before Mystik Dan was eventually declared the winner.

NASCAR and Kentucky Derby out here this weekend with photo finishes like Lightning McQueen 😂🔥 pic.twitter.com/cfcZUKExh6

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 6, 2024

Rounding out Sunday's top five were were Chase Elliott, Martin Truex Jr. and Denny Hamlin.

"That race from start to finish was amazing," Larson said afterward, per NASCAR.com. "That first stage was incredible. The second stage at the end was fun, and then that whole last stage with the wrecks and cautions and then fuel strategy and tires running long and all that was wild."

"You guys got your money's worth today, and I'm just proud to be a part of the show," he added.

Although a rain delay pushed back the original 3 p.m. ET start time, the race was eventually able to get going and did not disappoint. Hamlin initially appeared to be on the verge of his second consecutive win after emerging victorious in the 2023 AdventHealth 400, leading with seven laps remaining.

However, a spin by Kyle Busch brought out the caution flag. In the resulting green-white-checkered finish, Larson passed Hamlin and pulled alongside Buescher before edging him out.

Buescher, who won the second stage, was in disbelief after the result became official.

"I don't know what to say right now," Buescher said, via the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "I haven't seen a replay other than just the picture, and I sure can't see in that picture. That sucks to be that close."

The NASCAR Cup Series will continue on May 12 with the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway.